Load binder



* 4 ai -r m Jan. 5, 1960 G. H. JOHNSON 2,919,895

LOAD BINDER Filed June 24, 1957 INVENTOR. Gustav H. Johnson LOAD BINDER I Gustav H. Johnson, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada Application June 24, 1957, Serial No. 667,407

5 Claims. (Cl. 254-78) This invention relates in general to improvements in chain tightening devices or load binders and pertains more particularly to specific improvements in the construction thereof resulting in simplicity of construction and safety in utilization.

In binding loads, such as a load of logs, on a truck, it is common practice to employ a length of chain running around the load and in connection therewith some means for drawing the ends of the chain together so as to tightly grasp and clamp upon the load. Particularly in connection with logging trucks wherein the sides of the truck are provided with a series of upright posts for normally retaining the logs in position thereon and wherein the posts may be tripped at one side or the other to permit the logs to roll sideways off the truck, it is necessary to provide an efiicient and positive means for binding the logs until such time as it is desired to unload the same from the truck. The present invention has for its primary purpose the provision of an improved binding mechanism for use wth chains in connection with the above described association wherein the binder may be easily moved to a positively locked position and wherein the same employs a minimum number of parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved load binding mechanism employing a jack knife type of handle permitting the same to be moved tothe unclamped position While the operator thereof stands a safe distance away so as to preclude the possibility of accidents.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved load binder construction embodying a base portion and a pair of upright flange members thereon disposed in spaced apart relationship and serving to pivotally secure therebetween a lever portion operable in overcenter relationship to establish an associated end of the chain in locked position in connection therewith and for exerting a pulling action thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved load binder construction in conformity with the preceding object embodying a lever extension in the form of a handle section pivotally attached to the lever so as to jack knife with respect thereto so that the handle may be grasped and moved angularly with respect to the lever in the direction of lever movement so as to permit an operator to take a position with respect to the binder remote therefrom and out of the way of immediate danger should the load which the binder is serving to clampingly hold suddenly he released.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrifi'cing any of the advantages of the invention.

' In the drawing:

Piatented Jan. 5, 1960 Fig. 1 is an end view of a truck body having a load of logs associated thereon and showing a pair of the clamping elements or load binders operatively associated with a chain.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view'of the load binder and show- 7 ing the parts thereof in clamped or operative position;

and

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in Fig. 2 with the parts in operative position and showing a section of chain in operative relationship therewith.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, the load carrying platform of the truck is indicated generally by the reference character 10 and the reference character 11 denotes a load of logs disposed thereon. The platform is provided along its opposite sides with a series of upright posts 12 and 13 serving to provide side supports for the logs as they are initially loaded upon the truck body. After the logs have been loaded, a length of chain 14 is attached to the two load binding mechanisms indicated by the reference characters 15 and 16, each of which is firmly attached to the truck body and serves as an anchoring point for its corresponding end of the chain. Each of these members is capable of exerting a pulling or tensioning force upon the chain so that the same will clamp tightly the load of logs and serve to hold the same in rigid relationship on the truck preventing shifting of the load and accidental dumping thereof during transport.

Usually, two or more such sections of chain are associated with the load but only one such assembly is indicated in Fig. 1.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the specific construction of the I load binder used in Fig. l and from these figures, it will be seen most clearly from Fig. 2, are disposed in generally parallel spaced relationship and each of which, see particularly Fig. 3, preferably is of generally triangular shape. The ears 18 and 19 may be fixed to the base 17 in any suitable manner, such as by welding or they may be integrally formed.

At any rate, it is essential that the same be rigidly interconnected so as to form a physically strong unitary assembly.

Disposed between the two ears 18 and 19 is the operating assembly of the mechanism and this preferablytakes the form of an elongate lever member 20 which extends in close adjacency along the inner face of one of the ears 18 and which is povitally attached thereto by means of a suitable pivot pin 21 which is carried by theear 18 and extends into-a suitable opening through the side of the lever 20 adjacent one end thereof as is most clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lever 20 is sufiicientlyelongate to extend beyond the end of the ears 18 and 19 as is shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 and pivotally attached thereto and forming an extension thereof is a handle section indicated generally by the reference character 22. Thishandle section conveniently may be bifurcated to form a pair of leg members 23 and 24, and: straddle the terminal end portion 25 of the lever 20 and.

the leg members are pivotally attached to the portion 25 by means of a pin member 26 which, as can be seen, may have its opposite ends headed over for securement to the lever and handle section.

n'ected by means of an integral cross piece 27.

Preferably, the free or remote ends. of the legs 23 and 24 are rigidly; intercom,-

lying adjacent the opposite ear member 19 and in close relationship to the inner face thereof opposed to the ear 18 is a link member 28 which is pivotally sec.u red,tov the car 19 by means of the pin 29 which is so disposed as' to lie, on. an. axis coincidental with. the. axis of the. pin, 21 so, that the two'members 2t) and 28 are mounted for rotation about a common axis with respect to the ears Hand 19 and form movement in the:directi n of a planeparellel to and between. the twoears.

The two elements 20 and 28 are rigidly interconnected by means of a chain gripping. element 36 which, as can be seen most clearly from Fig. 3, is. disposed between these two members 20. and 28 such as to extend angularly between opposite side edges thereof and such that the position of the chain gripping elementis angularly upwardly with respect to the assemblage when in the operative position as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The gripping element is provided with an elongate notch 31originating at its uppermost edge and extending longitudinally centrally thereof towards the opposite or lowermost edge and terminating somewhat beyond the center thereof, thus defining a pair of spaced apart gripping fingers 32 and 33 which are adapted to straddle an associated chain link and firmly grip the chain.

This relationship of the chain with respect to the gripping element is shown most clearly in Fig. 3. In addition to the apertures for the pins 21 and 29, the elements 2i) and 28 are provided with transversely aligned apertures for receiving a locking pin 34- and in this connection, the cars 13' and 19 are also provided with longitudinally elongate openings 35 so that the pin may be passed therethrough after the parts are disposed in the operative or binding position to lock the assembly in place. The gripping element 30 serves not only for the purpose of engaging the chain but also serves to rigidly and fixedly interconnect the elements 20 and 28, thus establishing an efiective, yet simple, interconnection therebetween lending extreme rigidity and strength to the device.

From Fig. 3, it will be apparent that when the parts are in the position as shown, the point of tensioning stress placed upon the chain is below the axis of pivotal connection between the members 20 and 28 and the ears 18 and 19 as established by the axes of the pins 21 and 29 so that an overcenter relationship exists, tending to maintain the parts in locked or operative position.

At the same time, a study of Figs. 2 and 3 will reveal that the hand grip section 22 serves as an extension for the lever member 20 and will permit the hand grip section to be swung about the axis of the pin 26 to various positions permitting a person to position. himself more remotely with respect to the binding mechanism than would be the case were the hand grip section a fixed integral part of the lever 20. This latter effect is extremely important as regards safety inasmuch as it enables the person releasing the load to be well out of the way thereof should the load completely breakloose when the chain is released. In this connection, it is frequently the case that the posts 12 and 13 are removed or tilted down to an inoperative position in some cases before the load is released from the chain binding action and in such circumstances it is quite possible that the load, when suddenly released can immediately shift and roll off the truck and if the operator is not careful, bodily injury may result.

I claim:

1. A load binder for taking up slack in flexible members such as chains comprising a base having a pair of upstanding ears rigidly attached thereto, a lever element pivotally secured adjacent one end thereof to one of said ears, a link member pivotally secured at one end thereof to the other ear about an axis coincidental with the pivotal axis of said lever member, a gripping element between said lever and link elements and attached toand rigidly coupling the same together, said gripping element having a length extending oblique to the length of the lever element and the link member, and having a slot therein for receiving the link of a chain or the like and the bottom of said slot being, in one position of said lever member, below the pivotal axis of the lever and link members to provide an overcenter locking relationship.

2. A load binder for taking up slack in flexible members such as chains comprising a base having a pair of upstanding ears rigidly. attached thereto, a lever element pivotally secured adjacent one end thereof to one of said cars, a link member pivotally secured at one end thereof to the other ear for. turning about an axis coincidental with the pivotal axis of said lever member, an elongate gripping element positioned between and extending obliquely to the length of said lever and link elements and rigidly attached to both for securing the same together, said gripping element having a slot therein for receiving the link of a chain or the like and thebottom ofsaid slot being, in one position of said lever member, below the pivotal axis of the lever and link members to provide an overcenter locking relationship, an extension member for said lever member, and a,

pivotal coupling between an end of the extension member and. the free end of saidlever whereby the extension;

erally parallel relation and each having an openingthere;v

inspaced from the surfaceof said base, a lever member having one end provided with a, pin extending into and rotatably receivedin an opening in one of said earsand. with said lever member lying in closely spaced relation-- ship to the inner side of such one ear, a link member having a pin rigid therewith rotatably received in the opening in the other ear and said link member being closely spaced to the inner surface of said other ear, a generally rectangular gripping element positioned between said link and lever members and rigidly attached to each, the gripping element lying in a plane oblique to the length of the link and lever, the lever member, the link and the gripping element forming an integral assembly, the openings in said ears being in alignment whereby the entire assembly is pivotal about a common axis, said gripping element having an elongate slot therein extending inwardly from that end thereof remote from said pins and of a width to receive a chain link therethrough and on opposite sides to loekingly abut adjacent chain links.

4. A load binder comprising a generally rectangular plate-like base having a pair of upstanding ears rigidly afiixed thereto, said ears being disposed in spaced generally parallel relation and each having an opening therein spaced from the surface of said base, a lever member having one end provided with a pin extending into and rotatably received in an opening in one of said ears and with said lever member lying in closely spaced relationship to the inner side of such one ear, a link member having a pin rigid therewith rotatably received in the opening in the other ear and said link member being closely spaced to the inner surface of said other ear, a generally rectangular gripping element extending between said link and lever members and rigidly attached to each such that the lever member. the link and the gripping element form an integral assembly, the openingsin said ears being in alignment whereby the entire assembly is pivotal about a common axis. said gripping element having an elongate slot therein extending inwardly- 5 6 whereby the inner end of said slot is rotated below the against pivotal movement with respect to said ears, and axis of said pins when said lever and link members are a handle extension pivotally secured to and adjacent the in operative position. free end of said lever member.

5. A load binder according to claim 4 wherein said link and lever members are provided with aligned aper- 5 References Cited in the file of this patent tures and wherein said ears are provided with correspond- UNITED STATES TS ingly aligned apertures and a pin extending through all of said apertures to lock the link and lever members 1'230'146 Fneze June 1917 

